Apparatus for filling bottles



No Model) J. H. FAI-IRNEY APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES.

Patented June 29,1897.

I I 5 an! /4 WITNESSES. J

NHED JOSIAH HARVEY FAHRNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING BOTTLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,265, dated June 29,1897.

Application filed 001301191 1895- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSIAH HARVEY FAHR- NEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Filling Bottles, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for filling bottles.

The primary object of my invention is to provide such bottle-fillingapparatus with automatic electrically controlled mechanism, wherebybottles may be filled to a predetermined height, thus avoiding all wasteof the liquid being bottled.

The above'named object and such others as may occur from the ensuingdescription are accomplished by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of my improvedapparatus, partly in vertical section and partly in elevation. Fig. 2 isa detail view of a modification.

The reference-numeral 1 indicates a reservoir of cylindrical or othersuitable form, provided with an air-tight cover 2, hinged to astationary sect-ion of cover 3. An opening 4 is formed in the topportion 5 of the reservoir, through which extends the long leg 6 of asiphon, the short leg 7 of which depends from the outside of thereservoir, as shown. Within the reservoir the leg 6 of the siphon isprovided with a coil-spring 8, the upper end of which bears against thetop 5 of the reservoir, while its lower end bears upon a collar 9, fixedon the siphon-leg 6. The said leg 6 extends downwardly through a keeper10, projecting from the wall of the reservoir, and is adapted tonormally rest upon a yielding seat 11, of rubber, leather, or lightmaterial, arranged at the bottom of the reservoir. Projecting laterallyfrom the outer surface of the reservoir is a bracket or shelf 12,adapted to receive the bottle to be filled. The short leg 7 of thesiphon is provided with a collar or annular disk 13, against which theneck of the bottle rests while being filled. An inlet-tube 14, connectedwith an air-bulb 15, extends through the cover 2 a short distance intothe reservoir, for a purpose hereinafter explained. A liquid-supply pipe16 (connected with any source of supply) connects with an inlet-opening17, formed near the bottom of the reservoir. This supply-pipe isprovided with a conical valve-seat 18, adapted to receive a valve 19,secured to the lower end of a rod 20, extending upwardly through aboxing 21, arranged on the pipe 16, and thence upwardly through anopening in a shelf-bracket 22 and through the core of a magnet 23,arranged upon said shelf. Adisk armature 24 is secured upon the upperend of the rod 20. This magnet 23 is of solenoid form, comprising ahollow soft-metal core 25, through which the rod passes, and coils ofinsulated wire 26. The core 25 is formed at its lower end with acircular recess 27 to accommodate a coil-spring 28, surrounding the rod20 and resting at one end upon the bracket 22 and at its upper endagainst an annular shoulder 29 of the core.

The magnet is connected with an electric battery, as will be furtherdescribed. At a point near its top the reservoir 1 is provided with anair-inlet 30, covered by a flap-valve 31, controlled by a bell-cranklever 32, fulcrumed upon an arm 33, projecting from the inner wall ofthe reservoir and provided at its depending end with a float 34.

The numeral indicates a float adapted to rest upon the liquid containedin the res-- ervoir and secured to the lower end of a rod 36, the upperend of which extends through a' boxing 37 and the top 3 of the reservoirand is adapted to be adjusted vertically by means of a nut 38, arrangedupon the upper threaded end 39 of the rod 36. The rod extends through anopening formed in the enol of a lever 40, and the nut 38 bears upon thesaid lever, as shown. The lever 40 is fulcrumed upon a post 41, and itsfree end is provided with a platinum point adapted to contact with aplatinum point 42 of an electric circuit which will be described. Thelever 40 is provided with a set-screw 43, supported upon a bracket 44,secured to the top of the reservoir, for regulatingthe movement of thelever.

45 indicates an electric battery, the positive pole of which isconnected bya wire conductor 46 with the post 41, while the negativepole thereof is connected by a conductor 47, the coils of the magnet 23,and a con ductor 48 with the contact-point 42.

The mechanism thus described is adapted to operate as follows: Thebottle 49 receives the short leg of the siphon and rests upon the shelf12, the siphon being adapted to swing upon its long leg 6. The neck ofthe bottle contacts with the collar 13 on the siphon, thus raising thelower end of the long leg 6 from its seat against the tension of thespring 8 to allow the liquid to enter the siphon. The spring 8 returnsthe leg 6 to its seat 11 after the removal of a bottle. The bulb 15 andpipe 1a are designed for use when necessary to start the siphon action.It is only necessary to use the bulb when the air entering through theinlet is insufficient. The liquid in the reservoir is maintained at therequired height to fill the bottle to a predetermined point and thesiphon is regulated by the float and the electrical appliances. When theliquid in the bottle reaches the point desired, the liquid in thereservoir being at the same level, the float 35 rises, thus tilting thelever so that its free end contacts with the point4t2, thus closing theelectric circuit through the magnet, energizing the latter. Theenergized core 25 attracts the armature 24-, thus depressing the rod 20,closing the valve 19, and stopping the supply of liquid to thereservoir.

When the siphon by the filling of another bottle lowers the height ofthe liquid in the reservoir, the float 35 falls, tilting the lever 40 toits first position, thus breaking the electric circuit and deenergizingthe magnet 23. The rod 20 then rises by the force of the spring 28 andthe valve 19 is opened to allow the supply of liquid to the reservoir tobe continued. Thus it will be seen that a constant regulation of thesiphon is effected and that all waste of liquid by overfilling of thebottles is avoided.

The rod 36 is regulated in its vertical adjustment by the nut 38, andthe flap-valve 31 admits sufficient air to afford the required pressureupon the liquid to insure the siphon action. If necessary, as abovestated, to increase the normal air-pressure, the handbulb 15 isutilized.

The float 34 is designed to operate as a safety-valve in case for anyreason the valve 19 should fail to operate. In such event the liquidwould raise the float 34, thus closing the flap-valve, cutting off theair-supply, and preventing the escape of liquid through the siphon, andat the same time preventing the possibility of an overflow of the liquidthrough the opening 30 in the reservoir 2.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a modified form of seat for the lower endof the long leg 6 of the siphon.

The seat is of tubular form, open at its top 49 to receive thesiphon-leg, and has a yielding seat 50, of rubber or like material, asshown. The liquid from the reservoir enters the long leg of the siphonthrough the opening 51.

It will be understood that a slight departure from the exact detailshereinbefore described may be resorted to without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention,what I desire to claim and secure byLetters Patent is 1. In an apparatus for bottling liquids, thecombination of a reservoir, a supply-pipe therefor, a valve in saidsupply-pipe, a valverod connected to said valve and extending upwardly,a magnet having a hollow core to receive the valve-rod, an armature onthe upper end of said rod and above the magnet, a retracting-springmounted on the rod and suitably housed within the core of said magnet, abattery, electrical connections from said batteryto the magnet, andafloat arranged within the reservoir and adapted to close the electriccircuit and energize the magnet to shut the valve in the supply-pipe,substantially as described.

2. In a bottling apparatus, the combination of a reservoir and anautomatically-closing siphon, a supply-pipe, a valve in said supplypipe,and electric devices for controlling said valve, a circuit-closerforming a part of said electric devices and comprising a lever 40, a rod36 extending through the top of the reservoir and connected to one endof said lever, a nut adapted to adjust said rod vertically on said leverand a float on the lower end of said rod, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for bottling liquids, the combination of a reservoirand an automatically-closing siphon, a supply-pipe, a valve in saidsupply-pipe, an electric device for controlling said valve comprising amagnet having a hollow core, a valve-rod secured to the valve andextending upwardly through the core, an armature on the upper end ofsaid rod above the magnet, a retracting-spring housed within the core ofthe magnet, a battery, electric connections from said battery to themagnet, and a circuit-closer comprising a lever pivotally mounted on thereservoir, a float, a rod carrying said float and ex tending up throughthe top of the reservoir and connected to one end of said lever, theother end of said lever being adapted to engage a contact-point tocomplete the circuit between the battery and the magnet, substantiallyas described.

4. In a bottling apparatus, the combination of a reservoir, a siphonarranged in one side thereof and adapted to operate automatically, asupply-pipe leading into the reservoir, a valve for said supply-pipe, amagnet, a valverod connected with said magnet, a battery, electricalconnections from the battery to the magnet and a float arranged withinthe reservoir and adapted to close the electric circuit and energize themagnet to shut the valve in the supply-pipe, substantially as described.

JOSIAH HARVEY FAI'IRNEY.

- WVitnesses:

M. E. SHIELDS, O. R. BARNETT.

